YoFiFest will feature the documentary “True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality,” and other Black History Month-themed films this weekend.
YoFiFest, the Yonkers FIlm Festival, has partnered with Kunhardt Film Foundation to present a topical series of documentaries featuring people who have had an impact on our society they are calling the “World Shaper” film series. “We’re thrilled to have such a prestigious partner as Kunhardt,” said Dave Steck, YoFi Fest’s Executive Director, “Their award winning work is often seen on HBO and PBS, so we’re excited at the chance to present it in our venue.”
YoFi Fest, the non-profit organization behind the annual Yonkers Film Festival, and Kunhardt FIlms, a production company based in Pleasantville which produces award-winning documentaries, are teaming up to present a monthly series of feature length films about people and ideas that shape our world.
“Each event features a documentary directed and produced by Kunhardt Films, designed to inspire audiences with stories of some of this country’s most fearless leaders,” said Emily Keating, Director of Development and Education at the Kunhardt Film Foundation, “YoFi’s DMAC is the perfect venue for our films to reach a diverse gathering of youth, educators, and engaged citizens.”
In recognition of February being Black History Month, the first feature shown in the World Shaper series will be True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality on Friday, February 28th. Told primarily in his own words, this intimate portrait focuses on Mr. Stevenson’s life and career – particularly his indictment of the U.S. criminal justice system for its role in codifying modern systemic racism – and tracks the intertwined histories of slavery, lynching, segregation and mass incarceration. Illuminating the power of memory in cultural change, the film instills hope of a brighter American future through the insights of this pioneer.
“This is a powerful and fitting kick off to YoFi’s Black History Month showcase,” said Ms. Keating, “This film offers a unique point of departure to critically examine the history of racial inequality and economic injustice in America. And, more importantly, to imagine solutions to these problems.”
Also in honor of Black History Month, it will be followed the next afternoon, on Saturday, February 29th, by YoFi Fest’s Black History Month Showcases, consisting of several programs of short films about the African-American experience in America.
For Women’s Month in March, the World Shaper series will continue on Friday, March 20th, with a screening of Gloria: In Her Own Words. Despite decades of opposition from the right, and recent personal setbacks, Gloria Steinem remains one of the most outspoken and visible symbols of the women’s movement today. This film blends interviews of Steinem in her Manhattan apartment, archival footage, photographs from throughout her life and clips from press interviews over the years.
Also, as part of Women’s Month, but not part of the series, YoFi will be presenting the documentary This Changes Everything at Sarah Lawrence College on Thursday, March 19. Told first-hand by some of Hollywood’s leading voices behind and in front of the camera, This Changes Everything is a feature-length documentary that uncover what is beneath one of the most confounding dilemmas in the entertainment industry — the under-representation and misrepresentation of women. It takes an incisive look at the history, empirical evidence, and systemic forces that foster gender discrimination and thus reinforce disparity in our culture. Most importantly, the film seeks pathways and solutions from within and outside the industry, and around the world. The film will be followed by a talkback with director Tom Donahue and executive producer Simone Pero.
On April 17th, leading up to the the New York primaries, the World Shaper series will offer For Whom The Bell Tolls, a look at the life and career of Arizona senator John McCain. The film follows many watershed moments in McCain’s political career, emphasizing the friendships he forged with the press and, notably, with senators across the aisle.
Finally, on May 1st, the World Shaper series concludes with King in the Wilderness, which chronicles the final chapters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, revealing a conflicted leader who faced an onslaught of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. Drawing on conversations with those who knew Dr. King well, including many fellow members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), King in the Wilderness reveals stirring new perspectives on Dr. King’s character, his radical doctrine of nonviolence and his internal philosophical struggles prior to his assassination in 1968.
The documentary also features archival footage, behind-the-scenes video of Dr. King’s private moments, intimate archival photographs and phone conversations recorded by President Johnson, who was both ally and adversary in King’s fight for civil rights.
All the World Shaper screenings take place at the YoFi DMAC (Digital Media Art Center) with free admission, but reservations are suggested. For more information about all the films, their schedules, and to make reservations, go to YoFiDMAC.com.
